When I was a little, little kid, we had a Hi Fi in our living room. It was the kind you lifted the lid to access the turntable, 8 track player and tuner, and since it was in the Front Room, the lid was festooned with family pictures, knick knacks, etc. So nobody used it much unless there was company over. I have 5 older brothers and sisters who clung to their privacy and independence as much as was feasible in our crowded house so there were various record and tape players about. Within their own collections there was a lot of second-tier Classic Rock (Reo Speedwagon, Journey, Foreigner)or pop (Pat Benatar, Go-Go's, Donna Summer) but that was their respective "thing" - they identified with it, they owned, it they defended it from interlopers like me. The Hi Fi, on the other hand, was Public Domain. It was situated in a neutral zone of the house, no one laid claim to it, and it was a hassle to take all the damn pictures off of it just to rock out to "Wheel in the Sky." Unless you were a four year old with nothing but time and burgeoning fine motor skills.

The Hi Fi was situated with the turntable on the left side, the tape and tuner and various controls on the right and a space in the middle to hold, say, 6 LP's comfortably. Ours had four or five: Three Irish Folk record (Cheiftains, Tommy Makem, stuff like that) and Hey, Love -Vols. 1 and 2. These records in our living room were my first education in music and in playing an in any way active role in contemplating and enjoying it. The first time I was inspired by music, even if it was to get drunk, curse the English, and make sweet love. The Clancy Brothers and the Isley Brothers were my brothers in sound.

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

Greatest. Commercial. Ever.

Actor 1
"Hey man, you got to let me borrow that album"

Actor 2 (with a old school perm)
"No my brother, you got to get your own."

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Hard Times" by Baby Huey (Buck 50)

"I Hate I Walked Away" by Syl Johnson (We made it)

"Gotta Find a New World" by Al Green (Iron Maiden)

"Riot" by Blackbyrds (Black Jesus)

"Get Up & Get Down" by The Dramatics (Knuckleheadz)

I Know You Got Soul (& anything to skate to): Bobby Byrd/ JBs /James Brown & the Fabulous Flames
One Nation Under a Groove & Knee Deep: Parliament/Funkadelic
Inner City Blues(and countless others): Marvin Gaye
A Change Is Gonna Come: Sam Cooke
Burn Rubber: Gap Band
Strawberry Letter 23: The Brothers Johnson
Just A Touch of Love: Slave
Ain't Nobody: Chaka Khan
Fantasy: Earth, Wind & Fire
Fire: Ohio Players
Superfly & Diamond in the Back; Curtis Mayfield
Rescue Me: Fontella Bass
Something's Got a Hold on Me: Etta James
Reflections: The Supremes
Think: Aretha Franklin
Superstition: Stevie Wonder
Love and Happiness: Al Green

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

If this song doesn't evoke some sort of emotional response from a person, they may not be alive...

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That video alone made leaving the old Musicbox channel on in the background the right thing to do

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

I love the scene in Malcolm X, right before he gives his last speech and this song is playing. Just grabs ya.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

Yep. Spike Lee used to be my dude.

Now he just yells at people on Twitter...

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It seems like that song was always playing on the back porches I was always running up and down on 70th & Michigan in '71-2-3. Everybody's mom/grandmother was cooking the same things(all the same smells) & all us little kids were still trying to get our older cousins to take to the fountains @ Meyering Park on 72nd & King Drive.

I can still taste the tropical punch Sno Cones from the "Candy lady's" house

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

^Old Chicago sounds like fun...

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Similar memories for me, only it was Division & Sedgwick (Cabrini) and instead of Sam Cooke, it was New Edition, Freddie Jackson, and Anita Baker.

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

It was Eazy E playing in my neighborhood as we walked up and down the alley looking for things to break.

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Remember when you could just find shit outside and make a game out of it? "Look! A stick! Fuck it, this is my sword now!"

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

Yep. Somebody would tear down their garage and we'd have shit to play with for weeks...

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Hell, if you had a quarter in your pocket, you were RICH.

Cheapest thing on the Good Humor truck was only a dime up through about '77-'78.

All you (thought you) had to worry about were the yards with the bad dogs. Never got bit, could hop a fence at about 8-9 yrs. old (South side badge of honor). And by then GG got too damned old to make us go get a switch from the side of the house (and wait for us).

Outside from 10a to streetlights.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Not too far off for me with the exception of candy getting more expensive and having to run in somebody's house when you heard gun shots...

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"Guns" made with a long 2x2 piece of wood, rubber bands and old clothespins....to hunt "super-rats", squirrels & the dogs in "those" yards.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Back when Jolly Ranchers were "wine candy".

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Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

Or doing "dirty work" riding down alleys & knocking down garbage cans.

I still have a friend who (once a year) is reminded about the time he got caught. "Where you live?" "What's your momma's name?" "You gonna clean this up". "I'm gonna catch the rest of them too!" (And then "Mark" cried like a baby - but still won't admit it )

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

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was listening to this album today...not sure how many are familiar but tell me this isn't smooooooth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KQqSI30Dxw

Breakwater- You Know I Love You

Walkin in rhythm - blackbyrds
ill be around-spinners
Just about any al green
love the harold melvin tunes-they are like lost treasures since you never hear them.

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You cannot make me care about the WNBA.

Thanks for saving my life-Billy Paul

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."